THE GOOD DEMON

Not all demons are bad. Are they?

Set during an oppressively hot, humid summer in the deep American South, the narrative opens one month after the local reverend delivers 16-year-old Clare from evil. The thing no one understands is that She wasn’t evil. She was Clare’s best friend, her Only, and they were going to be together forever. Without Her, Clare feels unbearably alone, like there is a “long dark hallway” inside her. The discovery of a cryptic note in Her handwriting sets Clare on the path to getting Her back. The note contains three mysterious items: “Be nice to him / June 20 / Remember the stories.” As Clare develops feelings for the sheltered teenage son of the preacher who exorcised Her, she discovers something sinister simmering just under the surface of her small town. Something ancient, powerful, and vile, leading to the reclusive One Wish Man. Will he help Clare—and at what price? How far is she willing to go to get Her back? Evocative language will grab readers by the throat and forge an unforgiving connection to Clare’s despair and desperation. The gorgeous black-and-white artwork centered on mysterious symbols has a palpable mysticism about it. No mention of diversity implies a white default.

Eerie and compelling. Fast track it to the top of the TBR pile.